Olympus FE-300 Digital Camera Review

Auto Mode (7.0)
The Olympus FE-300 has two automatic modes, Auto and Program, located on the mode dial. In Auto mode, the camera automatically adjusts settings so the user doesn’t have to dig through menus. Users can change flash (Auto flash, Red-Eye, Fill In, Flash Off), Macro focus (Off, Macro, Super Macro), and Exposure (+/- 2 EV in 1/3 steps) using the Perfect Shot Preview multi-frame live view. Users can not, however, change white balance, ISO, or autofocus type; the camera sets those functions.

The Program mode is an automatic mode with some adjustments permitted. In Program mode, the camera automatically sets aperture and shutter speed, but users can change more functions than permitted in Auto mode, including white balance, ISO, and autofocus. That allows users to control a few more settings if they don’t trust the automatic modes, but getting to white balance, ISO, and autofocus types requires a few more steps in the Camera menu.

Movie Mode (7.25)
The Olympus FE-300 records color AVI Motion JPEG video with or without sound at three resolutions: SHQ 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second (fps), HQ 320 x 240 at 15 fps, or SQ 160 x 120 at 15 fps. The lower resolution files are likely to look choppy, but they are ideal for Web posting. The resolution and frame rate is average among entry-level point-and-shoots, but users should note that the FE-300 has a limit on how long continuous video records. The Olympus manual states that with the fastest 30 fps rate possible, video records at a reported 40 seconds on a 1GB memory card. We found that on a 256MB card, video lasted up to 1 minute and 44 seconds. That’s still not much. Users are then forced to record smaller files at a choppy 15 frames per second for up to a reported 29 minutes on a 1GB card.

To keep track of how much video is possible, the FE-300 includes a counter displayed on the LCD. Although it resembles a green ticking time bomb countdown, the movie timer is extremely convenient, especially since space is limited.

One of the major drawbacks with the Movie mode is that optical zoom cannot be enabled, a vice of many point-and-shoots. Optical zoom is locked, but users can enable digital zoom at lower picture quality. This inhibits users from shooting movies from afar; it is recommended that video only be shot within close distance of the subject.

Users can play back videos at normal speed, in reverse, or frame-by-frame.

For movie editing, the FE camera offers two post-capture functions: Frame Index creates a 9-thumbnail index for print, and Movie Edit enables portions of the clips to be spliced together within the camera. Some cameras offer Color modes that allow users to shoot, for example, a black-and-white silent film. The FE-300 does not have such color functions, but the index print and splicing action contribute to the built-in video functions.

In general, the Olympus FE-300 Movie mode is a bit disappointing with its locked optical zoom, time restraints, and few internal editing options. Those limited functions are expected for an entry-level camera, but not one that retails for $299.99.

Drive / Burst Mode (5.0)
The Olympus FE-300 does not have a Burst mode, per se. Most point-and-shoots offer some kind of continuous sequential shooting mode for action sequences. The FE-300 has a Burst mode, but a low-quality version that cuts down on resolution for sequential shooting of 3 frames per second, permitted in the Smile Shot or Auction scene modes.

Smile Shot is similar to Sony’s Smile Shutter, introduced just days before the Olympus version. Accessed through Scene mode, Smile Shot supposedly takes 3 frames per second in automatic high speed sequential shooting that detects smiling faces. For the full burst, the camera shrinks resolution to SQ1, 2048 x 1536 pixels. Users can also manually hit the shutter for a three-frame burst regardless of who is smiling. We found the Smile Shot mode is not all that effective in capturing smiles automatically. Most often, we have to hit the shutter for the sequential shooting.

Similarly, users can enable a drive mode through the Auction scene mode, which captures 3 frames in a row for exposure bracketing, but again, at reduced resolution. Auction mode slashes resolution to SQ2, 640 x 480 pixels.

Where the Burst mode is traditionally located, the south directional of the four-way controller, is the Self-timer. The Self-timer can be set to Off or On for a 12-second delay from the time the user hits the shutter. Most cameras offer faster 2- or 10-second self-timers so subjects won’t have stiff faces by the time the picture is taken.

Playback Mode (6.5)